which as the Primum mobile or master-wheel carries the whole soul with it 4. The believer consents to have Christ pro termino interminabili never to part more he desires an uninterrupted communion with him he will part with life but not with Christ indeed death when it slips the knot between the soul and the body it ties it faster between the soul and Christ. 5. The Believer doth so consent to have Christ as he makes a deed of gift resigning up all the interest in himself to Christ he is willing to lose his own Name and sirname himselfe by the Name of Christ to lose his own will and be wholly at Christs dispose Ye are not your own he resigns up his love to Christ. In this sense the Spouse is said to be a spring shut up She hath love for Relations but the best of her love is kept for Christ The world hath the Milke of her love but Christ hath the Cream of it the choisest and purest of her love is a Spring shut up it is broached onely for Christ to drink This is the second Act of faith §. III. Opening the nature of Recumbency The third thing is Recumbency The soul having given its consent that the match should be made up and done it out of choice now it casts it selfe upon Christ as a man that casts himselfe upon the stream to swim it makes an holy adventure it clasps about Christ and saith My Lord my Jesus which is as it were the joyning of hands This Act of Recumbency is sometimes in Scripture call'd a coming to Christ sometimes a leaning upon Christ This is that faith which justifies Now concerning this faith I shall lay down two Rules 1. That faith justifies not as a formal cause but purely as an instrument viz. as it lays hold on Christ the blessed object and fetcheth in his fulnesse and in this sense it is call'd a precious faith the worth lies not in faith but in Christ on which it doth centre and terminate Faith in it selfe considered is not more excellent than other graces Take a piece of Wax and a piece of Gold of the same Magnitude the Wax is not valuable with the Gold but as this Wax hangs at the lavell of some Will by vertue of which a great Estate is confirmed and conveighed so it may be worth many hundred pounds So faith considered purely in it self doth challenge nothing more than other graces nay in some sense it is inferiour it being an empty hand But as this hand receives the precious Almes of Christs Merits and is an instrument or channell thorow which the blessed streams of life flow to us from him so it doth challenge a superiority above other graces Indeed some affirme that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very Act of believing without reference to the Merits of Christ justifies To which I shall say but this 1. Faith cannot justifie as it is an Act for it must have an object we cannot if we make good sense separate between the Act and the Object What is faith if it do not fix upon Christ but fancy It was not the people of Israels looking up that cured them but the fixing their eye upon the Brazen Serpent 2. Faith doth not justifie as it is a Grace This were to substitute faith in Christs roome it were to make a Christ of Faith Faith is a good Grace but a bad Christ. 3. Not as a Work which must needs be if as some affirme it be in lieu of obedience to the Moral Law Then we should be justified by Works contrary to that Ephes. 2.9 where the Apostle speaks expresly Not of works So that it is clear faith's excellency lies in the apprehending and applying the object Christ therefore in Scripture we are said to be justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through faith as an Instrument deputed not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for faith as a formall cause The second Rule is that Faith doth not justifie as it doth exercise grace It cannot be denied but faith hath an influence upon the graces it is like a silver thred that runnes thorow a Chain of Pearl it puts strength and vivacity into all the vertues but it doth not justifie under this Notion Faith begets obedience By faith Abraham obeyed But Abraham was not justified as he obeyed but as he beleeved Faith works by love but it doth not justifie as it works by love For as the Sun shines by its brightnesse not by its heat though both are inseparably joyned so faith and love are tyed together by an indissoluble knot yet faith doth not justifie as it works by love but as it layes hold on Christ. Though faith be accompanied with all the graces yet in point of justification it is alone and hath nothing to do with any of the graces Hence that speech of Luther in the justification of a sinner Christ and faith are alone Tanquam sponsus spomsa in thalamo As the Bridegroom and Bride in the Bed-chamber Faith is never separated from the graces yet sometimes it is alone And thus I have shewn you the Essentials of faith §. IV. Shewing what are the fruits and products of faith I proceede to the Consequentials of faith There are many rare and supernatural fruits of faith 1. Faith is an heart-quickning grace it is the vitall Artery of the soul The just shall live by his faith Hab. 2.4 When we begin to believe we begin to live Faith grafts the soule into Christ as the cion into the stock and fetcheth all its sap and juyce from that blessed Vine Faith is the great quickner it quickens our graces and our duties 1. Faith quickens our graces the Spirit of God infuseth all the seeds and habits but faith is the fountain of all the acts of grace it is as the Spring in the Watch that moves the Wheels not a grace stirs till faith set it a work How doth love work By faith When I apprehend Christs love this doth pullize and draw up my love to him again How doth humility work By faith Faith humbles the soul it hath a double aspect it looks upon sin and a sight of sin humbles it looks upon Free-grace and a sight of mercy humbles How doth patience work By faith If I believe God is a wise God who knowes what is best for me and can deliver not onely from affliction but by affliction This spins out patience Thus faith is not only viva but vivifica it puts forth a divine Energy and operation into all the graces 2. Faith animates and quickens our duties What was the blood of Bulls and Goats to take away sin It was their faith in the Messiah that made their dead Sacrifices become living Services What are Ordinances but a dumb shew without the breathings of faith in them therefore in Scripture it is called the prayer of faith the hearing of faith and the obedience of
faith dead things have no beauty in them it is faith that quickens and beautifies 2. Faith is an heart-purifying grace Having purified their hearts by faith Acts 15.9 Faith is a Virgin-grace of a pure and heavenly nature Faith is in the soule as lightning in the Air which purgeth as fire in the Metals which refines as Physick in the Body which works out the disease Faith works out pride self-love hypocrisie it consecrates the heart That which was before the Devils Thorow-fare is now made Gods Enclosure 1 Tim. 3.9 Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience Faith is an heavenly plant which will not grow in an impure soile Faith doth not only justifie but sanctifie as it hath one work in heaven so it hath another work in the heart He that before was under the power of some hereditary corruption as soone as faith is wrought there is a sacred vertue coming from Christ for the enervating and weakening that sin the waters are abated The woman that did but touch the hemme of Christs Garment felt vertue coming out of him The touch of faith hath an healing power Faith casts the Devil out of the Castle of the heart though still he keeps the Out-works Satan hath a party in a Beleever but there 's a Duel fought every day and faith will never give over till as a Prince it prevails This is the faith of Gods Elect Thou that say'st thou believest hath thy faith removed the Mountain of sin and cast it into the Sea What a beleever and a drunkard a beleever and a swearer a beleever and an Apostate for shame either leave thy sins or leave thy profession Faith and the love of sin can no more stand together then two contraries in the same part of the Subject gradu intensivo as light and darknesse Faith is an heart-pacifying grace Peace is the daughter of faith Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God Faith is the Dove that brings an Olive-branch of peace in its mouth Faith presents God reconciled and that gives peace What is it makes Heaven but the smile of God Faith puts the soul into Christ and there 's peace Iohn 16. ult That in me ye may have peace When the Conscience is in a Fever and burns as hell faith opens the Orifice in Christs sides and sucks in his blood which hath a cooling and pacifying vertue in it Faith gives us peace in Trouble nay out of Trouble 1. It gives Peace in Trouble Faith is an heart-pacifying because an heart-securing grace When Noah was in the Ark he did not fear the Deluge he could sing in the Ark. Faith shuts a beleever into the Ark Christ Lead me to the Rock which is higher than I was Davids prayer Faith plants the soul upon this Rock The West-Indians built their Palaces upon the tops of hills in the Flood the waters covered the hills but a beleever is built higher Isa. 33.16 His place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks but a man may starve upon a Rock therefore it follows Bread shall be given him c. Faith builds a Christian upon the power wisdome faithfulnesse of God This is the munition of Rocks and it feeds him with the hidden Manna of Gods love here is bread given him The way to be safe in evil times is to get faith this ushers in peace and it is such a peace as doth garrison the heart Phil. 4.7 The peace of God shall keep your heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It shall keep it as in a Tower or Garrison 2. Faith gathers peace out of trouble joy out of sorrow glory out of reproach This is the key to Samsons Riddle Out of the eater came meat this explaines that Paradox Can a man gather Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles Yes of Trials and Persecutions faith gathers joy and peace here are Figs of Thistles How were the Martyrs ravished in the Flames The Apostles were whipt in prison but it was with Sweet Briar O how sweet is that peace which faith Breeds it is a Plant of the Heavenly Paradise it is a Christians Festival it is his Musick it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostome speaks the anticipation of Heaven 4. Faith is an heart-strengthening grace a beleever is heart of oke he is strong to resist tentations to bear afflictions to foil Corruptions he gives check to them though not full mate An unbeliever is like Reuben unstable as water he shall not excell A state of infidelity is a state of impotency A Beleever is as Ioseph who though the Archers shot at him his bowe abode in strength If a Christian be to do any thing he consults with faith this is the sinew which if it be cut all his strength goes from him When he is call'd out to suffering he harnesseth himself with Faith he puts on this coat of maile Faith layes in suffering strength furnisheth the soul with suffering Promises musters together suffering graces propounds suffering rewards But how comes Faith to be so strong Answ. 1. Because it is a piece of Gods Armour it is a shield he puts into our hand Eph. 6.16 Above all taking the shield of Faith a shield will serve for a brest-plate a sword if need be an helmet it defends the head it guards the vitals such a shield is Faith 2. Faith brings the strength of Christ into the soul Phil. 4.13 I can do all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through Christ that strengthens me The strength of faith lies out of it self it grafts upon another stock When it would have wisdome it consults with Christ whose Name is wonderful Counsellour when it would have strength it goes to Christ who is call'd the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah Christ is a Christians Armory Faith is the key that unlocks it Faith hangs upon the lock of Christ all its strength lyes here cut it off from this lock and it is weaker then any other grace Christ may be compared to that tower of David on which there hang a thousand bucklers all shields of mighty men The faith of all the Elect these shields hang upon Christ. Faith is an Heroicall grace the Crown of Martyrdom is set upon the head of faith By faith they quenched the violence of the fire the fire overcame their bodies but their faith overcamr the flame 5. Faith is a life-fructifying grace it is fruitfull Iulian upbraiding the Christians said that their Motto was Only beleeve and the Papists call us solifidians Indeed when faith is alone and views all the rare beauties in Christ then faith sets a low value and esteem upon works but when faith goes abroad in the world good works are the handmaids that wait on this Queen Though we place faith in the highest Orb in matter of Justification yet good works are in conjunction with it in matter of Sanctification 'T is no wrong to good works to give faith the
Debt-book is crossed in his blood Quest. How is Death ours Answ. Two wayes 1. It is the Out-let to Sin 2. It is the In-let to happiness 1. Death to a Beleever is an Out-let to Sin we are in this life under a sinful necessity even the best Saint There is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Evill thoughts are continually arising out of our hearts as sparks out of a Furnace Sin keeps house with us whether we will or no the best Saint alive is troubled with In-mates though he forsakes his sinnes yet his sinnes will not forsake him 1. Sin doth indispose to good How to performe that which is good I finde not Rom. 7. ver 18. When we would pray the heart is as a Voyal out of tune When we would weepe we are as clouds without rain 2. Sin doth irritate to evil The Flesh lusts against the Spirit There needs no winde of Tentation we have Tide strong enough in our hearts to carry us to Hell Consider sinne under this threefold notion 1. Sin is a body of death and that not impertinently First It is a body for its weight The body is an heavy and weighty substance so is Sin a body it weighs us down When we should pray the weights of Sin are tied to our feet that we cannot ascend Anselm seeing a little Boy playing with a Bird he let her flie up and presently pulls the Bird down againe by a string So saith he it is with me as with this Bird when I would flie up to heaven upon the wings of meditation I finde a string tied to my leg I am over-powered with corruption but Death pulls off these weights of sin and le ts the Soul free Secondly Sin is a body of death for its annoyance It was a cruel torment that one used he tied a dead man to a living that the dead man might annoy and infest the living Thus it is with a childe of God he hath two men within him Flesh and Spirit Grace and Corruption here is the dead man tied to the living a proud sinful heart is worse to a childe of God then the smell of a dead Corps Indeed to a natural man sinne is not offensive for being dead in sinne he is not sensible of the body of death but where there is a vitall principle there is no greater annoyance then the body of Death Insomuch that the pious soule oft cries out as David Wo is me that I dwell in Mesek and sojourn in the tents of Kedar So saith he Wo is me that I am constrained to abide with sin How long shall I be troubled with inmates How long shall I offend that God whom I love When shall I leave these Tents of Kedar 2. Sinne is a Tyrant it carries in it the nature of a Law the Apostle calls it the law in his members There is the law of Pride the law of Unbelief it hath a kinde of jurisdiction as Caesar over the Senate perpetuam dictaturam What I hate that do I The Apostle was like a man carried down the streame and was not able to beare up against it Sinne takes us prisoners whence are our carnal fears whence our passions whence is it that a childe of God doth that which he allows not yea against knowledge only this he is for a time Sinnes Prisoner The Flesh oft prevailes though in coole blood the elder shall serve the younger whence is it that he who is borne of God should be so earthly The reason is he is captived under sin but be of good chear where grace makes a Combate death shall make a Conquest 3. Sin is a leprous spot It makes every thing we touch uncleane We reade when the Leprosie did spread in the walls of the house the Priests commanded them to take away the stones in the wall in which the Plague was and take other stones and put in the place of those stones and take other morter Levit. 14.42 But when the Plague spread againe in the wall then he must break downe the house with the stones and timber thereof Vers. 45. Thus in every man naturally there is a fretting leprosie of sinne pride impenitency c. These are leprous spots now in conversion here God doth as it were take away the old stones and timber and put new in the roome he makes a change in the heart of a sinner but still the leprousie of sinne spreads then at last death comes and pulls down the stones and timber of the house and the soule is quite freed from the leprousie Sinne is a defiling thing it makes us red with guilt and black with filth 'T is compared to a menstruous cloath we need carry it no higher Pliny tells us that the Trees with touching of it would become barren and Hierom saith Nihil in lege menstruato immundius there was nothing in the Law more uncleane then the menstruous cloath this is sinne Sinne drawes the Devils picture in a man malice is the Devils eye oppression is his hand hypocrisie is his cloven foot but behold death will give us our discharge death is the last and best Physician which cures all diseases the aking head and the unbelieving heart Peccatum erat obstetrix mortis mors erit sepulchrum peccati Sinne was the Mid-wife that brought Death into the World and Death shall be the Grave to bury Sinne O the Priviledge of a Beleever he is not taken away in his sinnes but he is taken away from his sinnes The Persians had a certaine day in the yeare which they called vitiorum interitum wherein they used to kill all Serpents and venemous creatures Such a day as that will the day of death be to a man in Christ. This day the old Serpent dies in a Beleever that hath so often stung him with his temptations this day the sinnes of the godly these venemous creatures shall all be destroyed they shall never be proud more they shall never grieve the Spirit of God more the Death of the body shall quite destroy the Body of death 2. Death to a Believer is an Inlet to happinesse Sampson found an honey-combe in the Lions carcase so may a childe of God suck much sweetnesse from death Death is the gate of life death pulls off our rags and gives us change of rayment all the hurt it doth us is to put us into a better condition Death is called in Scripture a sleepe 1 Thes. 4.14 Those that sleepe in Iesus as after sleep the spirits are exhilarated and refreshed so after Death the times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord. Death is yours Death opens the portal into Heaven as Tertullian speakes The day of a Christian's death is the birth-day of his heavenly life it is his Ascension-day to glory it is his Marriage-day with Jesus Christ. After our Funerall begins our Marriage Well then
upper hand which goes hand in hand with Christ. Good works are not separated from faith only faith challengeth its seniority Faith believes as if it did not work and it works as if it did not believe Faith hath Rachels eye and Leahs womb Rom. 7.4 That ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that ye should bring forth fruit unto God Faith is that Spouse-like grace which marries Christ and good works are the children which faith bears Thus having briefly shewn you the Nature of Faith I now come to the reflexive Act Have you faith or no And here let me turne my self first to Unbelievers such as cannot find that they have this uniting this espousing grace what shall I say to you Go home and mourn think with your selves what if you should die this night what if God should send you a Letter of summons to surrender what would become of you you want that grace which should intitle you to Christ and Heaven oh I say mourn yet mourn not as them without hope for in the use of means you may recover a Title I know it is otherwise in our Law-Courts if a Title to an Estate be once lost it can never be recovered but it is otherwise here though thou hast no Title to Christ to day yet thou may'st recover a Title thou hast not sin'd away the hope of a Title unless thou hast sinn'd away the sense of sinning To such as are resolv'd to go on in sinne I haue not a word to say they are upon the spur to go to hell but to you that have been prodigall sonnes but are now taking up serious resolutions to give a bill of divorce to your sins let me encourage you to come to Christ and to throw your selves upon his blood for yet a Title to Heaven is recoverable Object 1. But saith the sinner Is there hope of mercy for me sure this is too good news to be true I would believe and repent but I am a great sinner Ans. And who else doth Christ come to save whom doth God justifie but the ungodly did Christ take our flesh on him and not our sins 2. But my sins are of no ordinary die Answ. And is not Christs blood of a deeper purple then thy sins is there not more vertue in the one then there can be venom in the other what if the devil doth magnifie thy sins canst not thou magnifie thy Physician cannot God drown one sea in another thy sinnes in the Ocean of his mercy 3. But my sins are of a long standing Answ. As if Christs blood were only for new and fresh wounds We read that Christ raised not only the daughter of Iairus which was newly* dead and the widows sonne which was carried forth to burying but Lazarus that had layn four dayes in the grave and began to putrefie and hath Christ lesse vertue now in Heaven then he had upon earth if thine be an old wound yet the medicine of Christs blood applied by faith is able to heale it therefote sink not in these quick-sands of despair Iudas his despair was worse in some sense then his Treason I would not encourage any to go on in sinne God forbid 't is sad to have old age and old sins It is hard to pull up an old tree that is rooted it is easier to cut it downe for the fire but let not such despair God can give an old sinner a new heart he can make springs in the desart Have not others been set forth as paterns of mercy who have come in at the twelfth houre Therefore break off the league with sinne throw thy self into Christs arms say Lord Jesus thou hast said Those which come to thee thou wilt in no case cast out 2. Let me turne my self to the people of God such as upon a serious scrutiny with their own hearts have ground to beleeve that they have faith and being in the faith are ingrafted into Christ read over your Charter All things are yours things present and to come You are the heirs on which God hath setled all these glorious priviledges Give wine saith Solomon to them that are of heavy hearts But while I am going to pour in this wine of consolation me thinks I hear the Christian sadly disputing against himself that he hath no right to this Charter CHAP. XXI The Beleevers Objections answered THere are three great Objections which he makes Object 1. Alas saith he I cannot tell whether I have faith or no Answ. Hast thou no faith how didst thou come to see it a blind man cannot see thou canst not see the want of grace but by the light of grace Quest. But sure if I had faith I should discern it Ans. 1. Thou mayest have faith and not know it a man may seek for that sometimes which he hath in his hand Mary was with Christ she saw him she spake with him yet her eyes were held that she did not know it was Christ the child lives in the womb yet doth not know that it lives 2. Faith oft lies hid in the heart and we see it not for want of search the fire lies hid in the embers but blow aside the ashes and it is discernable Faith may be hid under fears temptations but blow away the ashes Thou prizest faith hadst thou a thousand Jewels lying by thou would'st part with all for this Jewel no man can prize grace but he that hath it Thou desirest faith the true desire of faith is faith Thou mournest for want of faith dispute not but beleeve what are these tears but the seeds of faith Object 2. But my faith is weak the hand of it so trembles that I fear it will hardly lay hold upon Christ Answ. There are seven things which I shall say in reply to this 1. A little faith is faith as a sparkle of fire is fire though the pearl of faith be little if it be a true pearl it shines in Gods eyes This little grace is the seed of God and it shall never die but live as a sparkle in the main sea 2 A weak faith will entitle us to Christ as well as a stronger To them that have obtained like precious faith 2 Pet. 1.1 not but that there are degrees of faith as faith purifies so all faith is not alike one is more then another but as faith justifies saith is alike precious the weakest faith justifies as well as the faith of the most eminent Saint a weak hand will receive the almes for a man to doubt of his grace because it is weak is rather to rely upon grace then upon Christ. 3. The Promise is not made to strong faith but to true The Promise doth not say Who ever hath a faith that can remove mountains that can stop the mouth of Lions shall be saved but whoever believes be his faith never so small the Promise is